Taming the Dragon Slayer
by The Tiny Foxtail
Summary: "Don't worry Lucy. If someone as oblivious as Gajeel can recognize how he feels about Levy; I'm sure Natsu's confession to you will be soon to follow." And thus began one of the most eventful jobs and two weeks of Lucy's life; with dragons, thieves, and a few old rivals, it definitely turned out to be more than Lucy had bargained for. NaLu & GaLe!
1. The Beginning

**Hello, and welcome to my story! This is actually my first shot at a Fairy Tail story, so I'm excited. I'm pretty new to the fandom, but already absolutely addicted! All of the characters are just so amazing! Anyway, this story will include NaLu and GaLe, two of the cutest parings ever if you ask me. :D**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 1: The Beginning**_

My eyes scanned the room, watching everyone present in the guild carefully. The guild was oddly desolate, but then again it was a Friday night and I knew everyone would either be out on jobs, at home, or at some trashy club. Well, Cana would be anyway. I nodded to myself slightly when I had assured no one was looking my way and then focused my gaze on the one person I wanted to watch. Natsu.

The normally active Dragon Slayer was now stretched out across one of the guild's tables, asleep and snoring loud enough to wake the entire town. Happy was lounging next to him, looking almost identical as a high pitched squeal of a snore left his mouth.

I sighed, my eyes focusing on Natsu's face. He looked so different when he slept. Peaceful, calm, two things I _never_ saw when he was awake. I reached behind myself, not taking my eyes off of Natsu as my hand felt around on the counter behind me clumsily. Finally I felt the handle to my drink and grasped it, pulling it around to take a sip.

I set my drink back down after a moment and quickly looked around the room, again making sure no one was watching before continuing my stare-fest. I didn't know what I would do if someone caught me blatantly creeping on Natsu. I knew that by the look on my face it wouldn't be hard to figure out I had feelings for him, and that I did. Over the months as I got to know Natsu, and as we got closer, I began realizing exactly how much I liked him. However I hadn't realized until lately that I in fact liked him as much more than a friend or a partner, and now, for some reason, everything he did was fascinating to me. I didn't know what I'd do however if someone in the guild found out. Rumors and gossip seemed to travel like wild fire and I vowed to do everything in my power to keep that from happening.

Natsu rolled to his side slightly, a puff of smoke spiraling out of his mouth. He was so cute when he slept.

I couldn't help but blush at the thought. I had fallen for one of the most obnoxious and clumsy boys I had ever met. Correction, _the_ most obnoxious and clumsy boy I had ever met, but what really made it worse was exactly how oblivious he was. I thought for sure with the subtle signals I would send him that he would pick up sooner or later on how I felt, and yet somehow he never did. Apparently not suspicious in the least.

I felt a frown tug down on my mouth. Natsu's obliviousness was starting to be a pain.

"It's not polite to stare!" A voice quickly pulled me out of my thoughts.

I jumped a mile and froze in my chair before whirling around to address the culprit head on. Mira. Of course.

Mira gave me a kind smile, reaching down underneath the counter to pull out a washcloth and an empty jar to begin cleaning.

"W-what do you mean?" I stuttered, my eyes landing on anything but the woman in front of me.

Mira let out a small giggle, "Oh Lucy, pining after our resident Fire Dragon Slayer are we?" she asked, an amused smile on her face.

I crossed my arms, figuring denial would be my best strategy. "What are you talking about?"

Mira rolled her eyes, shaking her head and placing the now clean jar under the bar to then pull out the next and begin cleaning it as well. "Oh come on Lucy; you're practically drooling. You can't hide those kinds of things from me."

I eyed the white haired female in front of me for a moment, contemplating how quickly Mira would blab out my secret and when I had decided that I was safe for the moment, collapsed onto the counter, resting my elbows on the surface and laying my chin on my hands. Mira stayed silent, cleaning the jar with a sly smile. I watched her carefully. It was more than a little obvious she was already forming a story in her head, and I didn't want to be the last one to hear it.

"Alright," I sighed, "What're you thinking?" I regretted the question the minute it left my mouth. Mira always had a mouthful to say whenever it came to something that involved a relationship.

"I'm thinking…," Mira started, placing the cloth and the jar in her hands below the counter before leaning forward, mimicking my position. "Well, I'm actually _wondering _why you two aren't going out yet."

"Mira!" I squeaked, my face turning a bright shade of red at only the thought. What if someone had heard that?

"It's true Lucy," Mira continued, shaking her head, "I'm baffled. You two kinda act like you're together and yet somehow… you're not. How come?"

I sighed again. "I'm just too much of a chicken to ask him how he feels. And he has the mental capacity of a two year old when it comes to anything romantic," I said, sensing the disappointment in my tone.

When I didn't hear an immediate response from Mira I glanced up at her, her eyes scanning me carefully.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Mira shook her head, "Nothing. I just think you underestimate Natsu's maturity level, that's all."

My eyes widened with that statement, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mira cracked a smile, "Nothing. I just think deep down Natsu loves you in a more intimate way, he just doesn't know how to show it."

I rolled my eyes, setting my arms down on the counter flat and laying my chin on them. That wasn't much help, and it was stretch. I doubted Natsu's emotional range held more than fighting and friendship. I for a moment contemplated how he'd react if I ever told him. Most likely he'd laugh it off, telling me what a weird sense of humor I had. He was hopeless.

"What's wrong Lu-chan?" A voice pulled me out of my wallowing.

"Fire boy over there," Mira answered before I could, nodding toward the sleeping Natsu.

I turned to my right as Levy hopped up on the stool next to me, her eyes glued to Natsu as well.

I groaned, peering over at Mira, "Careful, you're starting to sound like Gray," I said, noting the odd nickname the barista had used.

A giggle was the only response to that comment.

"Hmmmm."

My gaze again swept to Levy where she had her hand stroking her chin, a look of deep though on her face. What was she thinking about so hard?

Levy turned to me quickly, "So he still hasn't made a move?"

I shook my head. Levy was the only one I had told about my little obsession. I figured if anyone could keep a secret it'd be her and so far I had been right. She was a great friend, slipping hints to Natsu when she could, but even with her help the pink haired mage seemed to stay in complete and utter unawareness.

I looked over to his sleeping form again, his blank face looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

_"I guess ignorance really is bliss,"_ I thought half-heartedly.

I turned my head which was still lying on the bar, to look at Levy. How had she done it? Somehow she had gotten Gajeel, someone almost as oblivious as Natsu, to recognize his feelings. She had to have some sort of trick to pull off something that amazing.

"How did you bag Gajeel?" I asked quickly.

"Eh?" Levy squeaked, her cheeks already flushing a bright pink as she shot a look of surprise in my direction.

"Oh come on, you know he was just as…. unknowing as Natsu and yet now you two seem to be inseparable. How'd you do it?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda curious about that too," Mira piped in, leaning on the bar toward Levy.

"Well, uh," Levy stuttered, her eyes flicking from me to Mira and then back again. She was obviously intimidated by the interrogation. "We went on a job together and somehow…. he just… came around?" she said, her sentence trailing up at the end like a question, due to the pressure.

I jolted up in my seat, "A job huh?"

Levy nodded, looking over her shoulder for a moment to find _her_ Dragon Slayer who was sitting in his usual small and dark corner, lazily munching on a nail.

"Do you think it might work with me and Natsu too?" I asked, hopefulness etched in my tone.

Mira made a small scoffing noise. "Don't worry Lucy. If someone as oblivious as Gajeel can recognize how he feels about Levy, I'm sure Natsu's confession will be soon to follow."

A small pitter patter of hope sounded in my heart. If I could just go on a job with Natsu and secure an extended period of time alone with him then maybe he _would_ figure out his feelings. I hadn't been on a job with only Natsu and not out entire team in ages. Maybe it'd be good for us to revisit the olden days.

"How about I come too?" I heard Levy speak up happily.

"Eh? Why?" I asked. I had figured the trick was to be alone, not with some tag-along third wheel.

Levy puffed out her chest with a smug smile on her face, "As someone who has successfully…" she paused, looking over to me carefully before she repeated what I had said earlier. "'Bagged' a Dragon Slayer. I think I can be of some help!"

I nodded. She had a point. Surely she would be able to give me some tips. Plus it might be fun to go on a job with Levy. I hadn't ever gotten the chance to before.

"Alright!" I said excitedly, "It'll be fun!"

"Why don't you bring along Gajeel as well?" Mira asked.

I gave Mira a confused look. We were just adding more people now, this seemed to be getting way bigger than I had originally expected.

"Yeah!" Levy sang, "Maybe if Natsu sees an example of a couple, he'd be more apt to want to be in one himself!"

"Um, alright, I guess," I muttered. Now we had four people. Two other than Natsu and I, one being Gajeel. And if I knew anything from experience it wasn't going to be any easier to keep those two from fighting than it was Natsu and Gray.

Levy seemed to sense my hesitancy. "Don't worry Lu-chan, this will be the perfect opportunity for you and Natsu to get closer. I know he has some sort of thing for you, so we just have to find a way to bring it out!" she exclaimed, pumping her tiny fist into the air.

I nodded, this time with conviction. Indeed it might be the perfect opportunity.

"Yeah," I said, my smile already growing in size. This would definitely be an adventure.

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**Okay so there it is! I hope you enjoyed it! I hope it doesn't seem too cliche. I'm hoping to make it unique with the job and whatnot. I also hope it wasn't too boring as this _was_ just the first little bit/prologue/I don't know what to call it so I just continue to ramble. XD  
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**I would absolutely love to know what you thought of it! Any feedback is greatly appreciated. But go easy on Foxtail-chan please, this is her first attempt. XD**

**Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful week!**


	2. The Job

**Chapter 2 it is! Holy moly I would just like to thank you all for the wonderful response to the first chapter! I never expected such great feedback! :D What a great way to be welcomed into a fandom!  
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**This chapter seems a bit odd to me, but hopefully it won't to you. I'm still messing around with the characters. XD**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 2: The Job**_

I frowned, squinting at the tiny print on the job request form. Being body guards for a one-night event? That didn't exactly fit the bill for the job I was looking for. Levy had set me on the task of finding a perfect job, while she went and tried to convince Gajeel to come with us.

Natsu was surprisingly picky when it came to jobs. If it was our whole team he didn't care if the job was harvesting corn, but if he was going with only one other person, or with a different team, he was oddly choosy.

I shook my head at the next job. It would only take a few days as well. We needed one that would take an extended amount of time. Maybe a week or two? That would be just about the right amount of time.

"Lucy!" Levy sang from behind me, skipping over to my side and bouncing on her toes.

"What'd he say?" I asked. I had expected it to take longer for her to convince Gajeel to go on a job with Natsu of all people.

Levy grinned, "He was just fine with it; and he said to pick out an interesting one."

I groaned, "Easier said than done."

"It shouldn't be that hard," Levy said, her face shooting forward to read a request, her nose almost plastered to the job board.

I stood back, looking over to where Natsu was still sleeping. I hoped that he'd be willing to go. Surely he'd want to go on a job with me even if it wasn't with our regular team.

"Oh these don't sound fun at all," Levy groaned.

I looked back to where she was standing on her tip-toes, reading a job that was pinned to the board much higher than she could normally see. I sighed. We would need to find one that was more than just, 'fun' if we wanted Natsu to come along.

"Looking for a job?"

I glanced over my shoulder to where Mira was sashaying toward us, a small stack of paper in her hands. I nodded just as she reached us and peeked at the papers. The new round of jobs. Maybe there would be something more interesting in there.

I made a dive for the papers but Mira quickly held them out of my reach, a sneaky gleam in her eyes.

"I don't think you should take any of these," she said, instead pulling out a small folded piece of paper and handing it to me.

I unfolded it carefully, curiosity biting at my stomach as I pulled open the sheet of paper. Another job request. I glanced up at Mira and she nodded, telling me to read it. I slowly looked back down at the request and the first thing I noticed was the picture. It was of a small blue statue in the shape of a dragon. I cocked an eyebrow. Surely if a job had something to do with dragons Natsu would be more than intrigued.

"_To whom it may concern," _the job started off. I frowned, that was a weird way to start off a request. I read over it quickly. Apparently the gist of the job was to catch a band of thieves that had robbed a few nearby museums. They had stolen three relics in the course of three days and the curator which ran all three of the museums was desperate to get the antiques back. It wasn't anything special, there were jobs to catch thieves all the time, but what really caught my attention was the reward price at the bottom.

"1,000,000 JEWEL!" I practically yelled. That was the equivalent of an S-class quest. Normal jobs never paid anywhere near that much.

Levy snatched the paper out of my hands and quickly began reading over it. I was frozen in place, my mind swimming with the possibility of that much money. I would be set on rent for months!

I heard Mira giggle, "I thought you might think that. But also it has something to do with dragons I think, based on the picture."

I nodded, swallowing the surprise lodged in my throat, "Why does it pay so much?"

Mira shrugged, "Master made a few calls because he thought it was a joke but it turned out to be very real. I don't really know why they're offering so much."

"This sounds perfect," Levy said, handing the request back to me. "I think Natsu and Gajeel both will be excited for it."

"Natsu will be excited for what?"

I jumped as the paper was once again yanked from my grasp, this time by a very sleepy and confused looking Dragon Slayer. I hadn't noticed that he had woken up. Natsu read the paper carefully, his finger tracing the lines of text as my heart rate calmed down. He always did have a way of sneaking up on me. I should've been used to it by now.

Natsu nodded, giving the paper back to me, "So you're going to go try out that job, Luce?"

I nodded, "Yeah, Levy and Gajeel are coming, and I was wondering if you'd want to come too?"

My heart rate again skyrocketed. I had to blurt it out quickly or I wouldn't have had the courage. My mind was flooded with 'what ifs'. What if he said no? What if he thought I was crazy just for wanting to go on a job with him? What if-

"O'course! If it has to do with dragons, I'm all in!" Natsu yelled, his fists engulfed in flames almost instantly.

I didn't want to kill his party but I also didn't want him to be surprised out on the job. "It _is _just a statue of a dragon, you realize that right?"

Natsu's flames went out, "Sure! But with a reward like that there's got to be some action in there somewhere!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. Natsu was always so gung-ho about everything. I envied him sometimes, wishing I could get as excited as he did over anything, even something as trivial as breakfast like he did. Natsu turned around, shaking Happy, who was still dead asleep on the table, awake. The blue Exceed rubbed his eyes sleepily as Natsu explained to him that we were going on another job.

"So what'd you pick, Shrimp?"

Another voice joined our group as Gajeel sauntered over, resting an arm on Levy's head as he read the job request that I had put down on the table. His eyes scanned it before he nodded.

"Good choice; when're we leaving?" Gajeel asked, peering down at Levy.

"Well, _we_," she said, motioning over to me, Natsu, and Happy, "Are leaving tomorrow morning?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow to ask me if the timing was alright.

I opened my mouth to tell her it was fine but Natsu spoke up before I could.

"Alright! Tomorrow morning it is!" Natsu pumped a fist in the air as Happy nodded, giving him a weak 'Aye sir' before yawning.

Gajeel groaned, "I can't believe you convinced me to go along with this asshat," he said, shooting a glare at Natsu.

Levy shoved Gajeel's arm off her head and put her fists on her hips, her face flushing in embarrassment because of the foul name. "Yes, Natsu's coming; and don't be so mean," she said, giving Gajeel a disapproving glare.

Gajeel chuckled and rolled his eyes but didn't speak up further on the subject.

"Okay," I said, oddly happy that it had been as easy as it was to convince both Gajeel and Natsu to come. "We leave tomorrow morning at nine. We'll meet at the train station, and then head off to…" I trailed off, looking down at the request form for a location. "Ratsel Town," I finished, nodding to myself before folding the paper again and stuffing it into my pocket.

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I walked out of the bathroom few hours later, a towel wrapped around myself as my hair dripped onto the tile floor. A shower had been just what I had needed to calm my nerves down, a good night's sleep would come easily.

I padded over to the fridge, pulling out a half sandwich and closing the door to the appliance. I set the sandwich on the counter and brought my hands to my hair, wringing out the tangled mess before running my fingers through the blonde locks a few times.

I was excited, I had to admit. I always got the little pinch of anticipation when we were about to go on a job but I had to admit this was a bit different. This job had a purpose, and that purpose was to get Natsu to realize how he felt about me. I shook my head. I was thinking of it as a fact now. Levy and Mira both thought that Natsu felt something, however I still had my doubts. But surely if he _did _in fact care for me as more than a friend, the confession would come soon, just like Mira had said.

I sighed and walked over to the small table and plopped down in one of the chairs, adjusting the towel around my chest.

We had hand-picked this job especially for this purpose. It would be an easy one, one that gave me and Natsu more time together. I wondered for a moment if Levy was right, that if Natsu saw a couple he'd end up wanting to be in one. I shook my head. I had no idea what to expect out of Natsu this go around. He always seemed to surprise me and I doubted that I'd ever be able to predict how he would react.

I reached down for my sandwich, still deep in thought but my hand hit the table instead. I looked down and noticed my dinner was gone. My eyes widened, shooting up as I whirled around to find the culprit. It didn't take me too long to find the thief as a certain pink hared Dragon Slayer was once again present in my apartment even though he hadn't been invited.

"Aaah, Lucy you make the worst sandwiches," Natsu coughed, now lying on my bed, moving his tongue around in his mouth like he had eaten a bug.

"NATSU?!" I yelled, my hands flying to the towel around me and pinning it closer. He just didn't know boundaries.

"What?" he asked, stretching and collapsing across my bed, his leg hanging off one side with his hands behind his head.

"Get out!" I yelled, afraid to move for fear I'd give him a little flash of what was beneath the towel.

"Oh, come on Lucy! You know you have like, the most comfortable bed in the world," he whined.

"It's true!" Happy's voice chimed in as he flew out of the bathroom, doing a small loop in the air before landing with a thud next to Natsu.

I smacked my hand to my face. Of course Happy would be intruding as well. I shot them both a glare before standing up carefully and scooting back into the bathroom. I threw on some clothes, all the while cursing to myself. I knew Natsu was completely innocent, just simply wanting to sleep on a comfy bed, but Happy was another story. I was pretty sure the Exceed knew everything, and he also knew how uncomfortable it made me when they spent the night. But invasion of privacy seemed to be the Dragneel way, cats included.

Once I was fully dressed I stormed back into the main room, ready to give them a proper yelling but Natsu took me by surprise. He had scooted to one side of the bed, up against the wall and quickly patted the bed beside him once he realized I was back in the room.

"What?" I squeaked, my face instantly engulfed in heat.

He patted the bed again. "Come on. We both need our rest if we're going to go out on a request tomorrow."

I swallowed, any feeling of malice toward the boy dissipating. I hobbled over to the bed awkwardly, sliding on next to him and lying down, stiff as a board.

It was quiet for a long time. I was now way too tense to fall asleep but by the absolute quiet in the room I figured Natsu already had. But I was proved wrong as he spoke up.

"So why're we going on a job with Levy and Gajeel anyway?"

I relaxed a little, turning my head to look at him. "Levy suggested it. She said it might be fun for the four of us to go."

Of course I was leaving out the big chunk about this basically being one gigantic date. Or… pre-date.

Natsu nodded. Apparently I had answered his question to his satisfaction. Another long silence filled the room. I looked around, tapping my toe, waiting for any hint of sleepiness to come. But it didn't. I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Natsu. He was staring at the ceiling as well, a smile on his face.

"That bastard just better leave all the fighting to me," he mumbled with a grin before flopping onto his side, facing me and closing his eyes.

I smiled, forcing down a chuckle. I was curious to see in the end how Natsu and Gajeel got along. They hadn't ever been on a job together. They had fought against each other, and they had been on the same side in fighting with a large group of people, but never just the two of them out fighting on a job. They had only been together once, in the Grand Magic Games, and that hadn't ended too well. I hoped that this time it would go a little better.

Natsu's snore rang out in the air and I jumped. There was no way I'd be able to sleep with that. I sighed, looking down at Happy who had been curled up at the end of the bed sleeping but also jolted awake by the bulldozer that was sleeping next to me.

Happy crawled up to sit on my left, on the opposite side of Natsu and gave the boy a disapproving glance. I had no idea how the Exceed could put up with this snore for however many nights they had spent together.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as Natsu's arm swung out to the side, flopping across my stomach. My breath hitched and my cheeks flushed, my heart pounding. I had to look to Natsu again to make sure he was asleep and not playing some prank, but by the peaceful look, I realized he was most certainly not awake.

I sighed, a goofy smile stretching across my face. My giddiness was short lived however as I was interrupted by a certain flying feline.

"She liiiiiikes him."

"Shut up, cat!" I hissed, shoving him off the side of the bed.

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**So there it is! I hope you liked it! A filler chapter and it's only chapter two. *bows profusely* So sorry. XD And there was a bit of fluff... if you squint hard enough.  
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**Again thank you for the wonderful faves/follows/ and especially reviews I love them all. **

**And a big thanks to the reviewers last chapter: Musical Teardrops, KanaeHitomi, Puma, AmethystxViolet, IfYouLovedMe, kurisu313, pokeninja6600, and Let's Build Our Own Heaven. You guys get a big gigantic internet high-five from me!**

**I hope you have a great week!**


	3. What it All Entails

**Hello there and welcome to chapter 3! They are finally getting out on the job, I sure hope it goes well for them. *secretly plots against them* Haha. Anyway, creating a job should be a nice and difficult task for me.  
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**Anyway, while I sit here and scheme I hope you enjoy! XD **

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_**Chapter 3: What it All Entails**_

Natsu sprung forward, collapsing on the ground in relief. "We made it, Happy," he said weakly, holding his stomach to calm it from his perpetual motion sickness.

"Oh come on, stand up ya pansy we've got to get goin'," Gajeel growled, snatching Natsu up by the back of his neck and lifting him to his feet, shoving him forward and away from the train. Gajeel apparently bounced back from his motion sickness a little faster.

Natsu shot a glare back at Gajeel, mumbling something under his breath before marching forward, Happy floating above his head.

"Hey, what was that you flaming bastard?" Gajeel shouted after him, jogging to catch up.

"Nothing, oh Iron Maiden," Natsu replied, curtseying before shooting a cocky grin at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

I sighed, shaking my head as their fight continued. We had only been out of Magnolia for about an hour and already they weren't able to keep their insults to themselves.

"I hope they won't kill each other," Levy piped up, genuine concern in her voice.

I chuckled, waving my hand in the air, "Naw, they'll be fine once we get started on the job."

Levy sighed, "I sure hope so."

I pulled out the job request form and looked it over again. We were standing in the heart of Ratsel Town and it was obvious. There were hundreds of people running everywhere amongst the tall buildings, vendors calling out from street corners to try and sell their goods, and cars everywhere, beeping at each other while driving in helter-skelter patterns.

"This seems more like a city than a town," Levy commented, craning her neck to see the top of the train station to our left.

I nodded to myself, again skimming over the job to find any clues as to where the museum would be. I was walking aimlessly, following the sound of Natsu and Gajeel's yelling but stopped abruptly when I finally found the address stamped on the bottom of the request form.

"Looks like it's actually…" I paused, looking up at the sky before pointing to my right. "That way."

I peered down the street and sure enough only a few hundred yards away I saw a building that stuck out like a sore thumb. Definitely the museum. It was a large white building with marble columns in the front holding up a sign that signified it was the town's museum.

I pulled my fingers to my mouth, whistling as loud as I could and successfully got everyone in the general vicinities' attention.

I blinked a few times, about fifty people's eyes on me before motioning for our traveling companions to follow.

"Aye!" Happy called, floating back over to us as Natsu and Gajeel reluctantly followed.

It was a short and rather quiet walk to the museum, Natsu and Gajeel quietly fuming as Levy and I stayed quiet, simply trying not to break the silence for fear they would begin arguing again.

I trudged up the museum's steps first, shoving the large and rather heavy wooden doors open to reveal the inside of the museum. It looked just like any other, high ceilings, relics incased in glass with metal plates in front of them explaining what they were and what made them so special. It was quiet as well, and for that I was grateful.

"Why hello there!" A high-pitched and happy voice broke me from my marveling.

I jumped, whirling to my left to see a small and stout man making his way toward us.

Levy leaned toward me, "He looks like a chubby Master."

I slapped my hand to my mouth to hide my giggling. Indeed he did look like Master Makarov. White hair stuck out in every direction from his head and his small but perfectly round body was shoved into a suit that looked as if it would explode any minute. A tiny black top hat was perched amongst the mess of hair along with a small monocle on his left eye.

"You don't exactly look like you belong here," the man said, looking us up and down.

I peered at the other few museum visitors and realized he was right. They were all dressed up in fancy outfits, the exact opposite of what we were wearing.

"Um," I started, focusing my attention back on the small man, "We came to accept your request."

I fished the paper out of my back pocket and handed it to the man. His face immediately lit up and he clapped his tiny hands together excitedly.

"Ooh! Fairy Tail wizards, interesting," he said, taking notice of the guild mark on my hand and folding the paper I had given him carefully before putting it in his suit pocket. He straightened his clothing, his eyes flicking around the room in suspicion before he quickly made a motion for us to follow.

For such a small man he sure was a fast walker. I nearly had to jog to keep up with his pace and poor Levy nearly had to run. I glanced back over my shoulder at Natsu and Gajeel who already looked completely and utterly bored. They weren't exactly ones that you'd expect to have a good time in a museum.

The man led us down a number of darkened corridors, passing many visitors on the way before he abruptly stopped, turning back to us and motioning to his left where a small door, only about four feet tall was implanted into the wall. "In here," he said shortly, turning and quickly opening the door, easily fitting inside.

"You've got to be kidding me," Gajeel huffed from behind us.

I saw Levy shoot him a disapproving look before she walked forward and crouched down, waddling through the doorway. I took a deep breath, reminding myself of the hefty reward before following her. The door was rather short but if you were kneeling down it was rather easy to get through. And I was more than grateful that the room beyond its ceiling was the same height as any other so I was able to stand up without trouble.

Natsu wriggled in behind me, cursing to himself as he popped out and rolled into the room, Happy snickering as he easily walked through. Gajeel had no intention of cramming himself through such a small door and I realized that as I heard a grunt and the wall just above the door came crashing down, leaving a perfectly shaped Gajeel-sized hole.

Levy let out a squeak before covering her face in embarrassment. Natsu burst out laughing, and I sighed, quickly apologizing to the small museum curator who looked like he could blow a gasket any minute.

The small man glared at Gajeel with all of his might before turning back to us, his face completely red as he began to explain the job.

"This," he started, controlled anger in his voice, "Is the crystal dragon of Almia."

The man reached forward in the small room to the one object present. He grabbed the large black cloth and pulled it aside, revealing a glass cube with the same dragon statue on the request form sitting inside, untouched.

"It's been missing for three days now," the man continued, brushing his hand across the glass in an almost longingly way.

Natsu's face was within inches of the glass almost instantly. "If it's missing, why is it here?"

The man shook his head, "Oh no. This isn't it. This is a replica. I've had it in the original's place since it was stolen so to not cause any worry."

I crouched down, squinting at the small statue replica. It was only about the size of a tennis ball but quite beautiful. It reflected light in every direction, its sky blue surface gleaming in the light.

"All I ask is that you find the people who stole this and bring it back."

I straightened back up, "I thought on the request form it said something about _three_ relics being stolen."

The man nodded vigorously, "Yes, and that's the other part of the job. You see, I run four museums in the surrounding area. Three of the museums have been broken into and one relic was taken from each. This dragon," he said, motioning to the glass case, "Is part of a staff actually. The staff is in four pieces, all separated between the museums."

"Why not just keep them all together?" Gajeel sighed, his disinterest in the job not wavering in the least.

The tiny man sighed, "There is a small rumor that if the staff is put together that something will appear that isn't supposed to."

"That's rather vague," I said quietly.

The man nodded, "I know, and we don't know if there's any truth to it but just to be safe we keep them apart."

"So," Levy said, her hand again stroking her chin, "You think that the people who stole this," she said, gesturing to the dragon, "Are the same people who stole two other parts?"

The man again nodded quickly, "Yes, and I am quite afraid that the last part will be next."

It was quiet in the room for a moment, everyone mulling over their thoughts. It sounded like a relatively easy job. Catch the thieves, get the pieces back, and everything would be hunky dory again. I could tell Levy was interested but the same didn't exactly go for our Dragon Slayers.

"Where would we start?" Levy asked.

The museum director gave her a nod, "Good question. We believe that they will break into the fourth museum tonight, so I propose you camp out there to wait for them."

Levy nodded, shooting an excited look at me. Nothing got her more excited than a good book, but perhaps museums were a close second. She seemed to be interested in the slower paced things in life.

"Alright," I said, "What do you two think?" I asked, looking back at Gajeel and Natsu hesitantly.

Natsu shrugged, "Sounds like a piece of cake."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure!" the small man chided.

"Eh?" I asked.

"The robbers are wizards, and powerful ones at that," he said, shaking a finger at Natsu.

I instantly saw the light fire back up in both Natsu and Gajeel's eyes.

"Alright, we'll do it!" they both shouted, their hands in fists, already anticipating a good battle.

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**So there it is! I hope you liked it! This one felt a little odd/off to me, but hopefully it wasn't too much that way. They'll officially start off on the job the next chapter. And they've already racked up some damage expenses courtesy of Gajeel. -_- Way to go man. XD**

**I want to send a super huge shoutout to the reviewers last chapter: IfYouLovedMe, Eri-chan1626, lilpumpkingirl, kurisu313, AmethystxViolet, Ocarys, a Tale with Ears, pokeninja6600, Guest, and shadowninja2000! You guys make my day so much brighter! **

**Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a great rest of the week!**


	4. Old Enemies

**Hello there and welcome to chapter four! Holy moly it's been forever since I've updated! I'm so sorry about that! I re-wrote this chapter about ten times and I'm still not completely pleased with it. -_- **

**I also finally caught up to the manga. Hallelujah. That took forever, and now I'm not in the dark. XD Plus there were many lovely NaLu moments towards the end of the GMG arc. *fangirls*  
**

**Anyway, enough of my ramblings and enjoy!**

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_**Chapter 4: Old Enemies**_

"So why do you think those thieves would want an old staff anyway?" Natsu asked, excitedly pacing back and forth on the marble steps to the museum.

We had relocated soon after our chat with the curator to the fourth museum, the one he proposed would be broken into. I laid back on the bottom step and put my hands behind my head. This job already seemed like a bust. We would have one big fight and then, wham, it was over. No time for any Lucy and Natsu bonding at all.

"Hey Levy." I turned my head to look at the blunette who was sitting next to Gajeel, a few steps up. Her head was bobbing forward repeatedly as she tried to stay awake. However as she jumped halfway to Edolas when I called her name I realized she was fighting a losing battle.

"Huh?" she asked, lazily rubbing her eyes.

"Have you ever heard about this staff thingy before? I mean, you read so much," I said, recounting my visit to her apartment, or rather mini-library.

She yawned before nodding slightly. "Yeah, I think I read something about it somewhere. It was the staff of one of the kings of Almia about five hundred years ago. When he died it went missing for a long while before just randomly washing up on a beach. I don't remember much past that except for that rumor the curator told us. And then that it's been separated into four pieces since then."

I nodded halfheartedly, my gaze now on Natsu as he continued to pace, his teeth clenched and eyebrows knitted together. He obviously wasn't happy with waiting; it _was_ almost three in the morning.

_Thwack!_

My head whipped over toward the sound, my nerves already on high-alert but relaxing quickly as I realized Levy had tipped over, not able to keep her eyes open any longer. Her head was now on Gajeel's lap and his face held the most priceless expression I had ever seen. His hands hovered over her, not sure what to do. He looked like a new father being given his newborn child; he was obviously not only flustered but confused.

He awkwardly patted Levy on the head before slightly shrugging and leaning back on the step behind him, just like he had been before.

I sighed. Sure it was odd and awkward but Levy and Gajeel had something special. I wasn't exactly jealous, but a bit frustrated.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" Natsu yelled, his head tilted back as he screamed to the sky.

I flinched at his loudness and pursed my lips. Right there was why I was frustrated. He was so loud. He never took time to just sit down and realize how someone felt. Whether it be Lisanna and her obvious love for him, me, one of his closest friends, or anyone else in the guild. He had a one-track mind, and I had no idea how to derail it.

"For the love of god, Salamander. Just sit and wait like the rest of us," Gajeel hissed, a little quieter than usual as to not wake the still sleeping Levy. Though if she could sleep through Natsu's shouting I doubted his talking would wake her up.

Natsu sent a glare toward the Iron Dragon Slayer before continuing his pacing on the top step, ignoring Gajeel's advice completely.

The rest of the night went on similarly. Levy was conked out and soon Gajeel was too. Happy tried desperately to keep up the same amount of enthusiasm Natsu had, but before the little cat knew it he was out cold as well, curled up on the second to top step, his tail completely limp. I as well tried to stay awake. I needed my wits about me if the thieves _did_ show up but after another hour and a half of waiting, I blacked out, unable to stay awake even one minute longer. The thieves had obviously either known our plan ahead of time and bailed, or the curator had been wrong about them robbing the fourth museum.

So you can only imagine exactly how surprised I was to be awoken the next morning by the loud sound of a siren. I scrambled to attention, plopping down one step and flinching at the shooting pain in my tailbone. There were lights and sirens going off everywhere inside the museum, the light shooting through the windows as a small speaker attached to the museum's roof blasted out the alerting sound.

My heart was pounding, anticipating the worst and I could tell my companions felt the same way. We had missed them. They had broken in while we were asleep. The question was: how long ago?

The door to the museum burst open and the small and stout man who ran the museum blew through the opening.

"Over there!" he exclaimed, pointing behind himself and back into the museum. He was hopping up and down quickly, his small top hat tumbling off in the process. "They went that way, you might still be able to catch them if you hurry!"

The small man didn't need to tell us twice and before he knew what hit him Natsu had shoved him out of the way and flown into the museum followed by Levy, Gajeel, Happy, and I.

This museum looked almost identical to the one we had been in the past day. High end, classy, and overall just plain beautiful. Minus the deafening alert signal which was currently going haywire. I glanced around, my eyes landing on a pile of broken glass on the floor surrounding a pedestal. Sure enough, they had obtained the fourth piece.

"C'mon!" Natsu shrieked, blurring as he ran across the museum, weaving around exhibits as he rushed toward the back door which was still propped open. It was our only lead to find where the thieves had gone.

I sprinted after him, Gajeel and Levy's footsteps echoing mine behind me. We just had to get to them before they got too far. If we were able to catch up, in a fight no doubt Natsu and Gajeel would be able to easily overpower them, mages or not.

I flew through the back door, my eyes quickly scanning the landscape. Natsu was now just a dot of pink in the distance as a cloud of dust followed him. He was probably the fastest person I knew and I doubted anyone could keep up with him when he was pumped about something.

The first museum, where we had accepted the job, was in the heart of Ratsel town. Crowded streets with loads of cars and yelling people all around. However it seemed that this museum was located on the outskirts of the city. Green grass stretched as far as the eye could see, rolling hills and the stray tree dotting the landscape. If I hadn't have been in such a hurry I would have stopped to soak up the beauty.

"Natsu! Wait!" I yelled as the pink dot in the distance disappeared over the hill.

"Oy, c'mon Shrimp!" Gajeel yelled.

I heard a squeak from behind me before Gajeel went barreling past, a very shocked Levy thrown over his shoulder. I couldn't help but let out a giggle as Levy mouthed a 'help me' before being carted off into the distance.

With Levy taking the Gajeel express I was then officially the slowest member of our group. I groaned, forcing my burning thighs to carry me faster. Gajeel and Levy disappeared over the hill a moment later and I pushed myself harder. I needed to at least be able to keep up if I planned on being any help on the mission.

I topped the hill a second later, triumphantly giving myself a mental pat on the back before crashing into someone's back. That someone being Natsu. I had expected him to be long gone by now but instead he stood perfectly still, staring into the distance. Gajeel with Levy still over his shoulder was still as well, a little ways to my right.

I looked to Natsu's face and slowly followed his gaze, finally noticing exactly what he was staring at.

It appeared the thieves had decided to stay and fight, not run. Two men stood across from our group, only a few yards away.

The man on the left was gigantic. Much taller than any person I had ever seen, and one of the only people who could hold a candle to Droy's width. He wore a tiny brown shirt which was far too small for him, strings flying in every direction as the shirt struggled to maintain its shape and not burst into a million pieces. His pants were similar, far too small for him and I for a moment questioned if he realized exactly how big he was. A metal helmet adorned his head, sinking low enough to cover his eyes, the only thing visible on his face being a crooked smile with teeth jutting out in all directions. At first look I was disgusted, but as I continued to soak in his appearance I became fearful. If this man was indeed a mage, he would be able to deliver one hell of a punch.

The man on the right was almost the exact opposite. He was as thin as a toothpick, his gangly limbs looking unhealthy as he sat on a chair. I gave the man a hesitant look as I pondered where he had even gotten a chair in the first place. He smiled at me, his long white wispy hair blowing in the breeze and small crinkles at the sides of his eyes forming. I was too intrigued to be repulsed.

The two men stood perfectly silent, apparently waiting for us to make the first move.

I glanced back to Natsu, his eyes the size of saucers, and wondered why he hadn't made a move yet. He was always the first to charge into a battle, even if it wasn't a good idea. So why was he standing still now? In fact, the same could be asked of Gajeel. The two of them were like statues.

I took the pause as an opportunity to grab a key. If Natsu and Gajeel weren't going to make the first move, I sure was. These men were obviously the ones who had taken the relic, as the old man held a light blue orb in his hand. It was the exact same color the dragon statue had been.

I fumbled with my keys for only a moment, choosing Loke's before readying myself. This was it.

"Open-"

My call for my spirit was cut off as Natsu's arm flew out in front of me, almost in a protective manner. Loke's key which had begun to glow, dimmed as I let my arm slack and looked to Natsu with a confused expression. Why was he stopping me? Weren't we here to fight them?

"Natsu-" I started but was once again cut off.

"Look at their marks," Natsu hissed, his arm moving backwards even further, forcing me to step behind him.

I glanced to the men in front of us again, my eyes sweeping their bodies for guild marks. The first one I saw was on the wrist of the older man. I squinted. It resembled a blue R, with a wing on the top. I had seen that mark before. I wracked my brain before finally remembering, and when I did my eyes couldn't have gotten any larger.

"Raven Tail."

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**So there it is! Rather short... and kinda anti-climactic. T-T But the Gajeel-express needs to be a thing. I would ride it everywhere. (No that was not meant to sound as dirty as it did. 0.o)**

**Also. I take it that Raven Tail is still a guild. They were just kicked out of the GMG right? I hope I'm not wrong about that. Oh, and yes Lily isn't with them now, but he will be!**

**A big gigantic thanks to the lovely people who reviewed last chapter: Ocarys, IfYouLovedMe, MythandFairyTailLover13, shadowninja2000, Celtika82, xCassie97x, YamiHinata, sparrow2099, MelodyOfSecrets, Rinku-LavaDragonSlayer, ShadowAlchemist503, ninathefox243, DitDitto, and Anime Kat Reaper! Reviews make me such a happy person. And they make Happy happy too!**

**Happy: Aye!**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be up sooner than this one! And hopefully be better too! **

**I hope you have a great week!**


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